Artist{3 s carrying case

ABSTRACT

An artist&#39;&#39;s carrying case in the form of a generally rectangular container with a hinged lid and a removable tray with compartments of sizes and configurations to contain clean and soiled brushes, paints, small jars of oil and turpentine and the like, with a palette-forming cover receivable in slideways in the sides of the box, the bottom of the box being partitioned to provide compartments, one for soiled paper or cloth and the other for rolls of clean paper or cloth and other miscellaneous equipment, the lid of the box having elastic straps to hold knives and other utensils. On the exterior of the front of the box there are elastic straps to hold a folding easel, and a handle is attached along the longitudinal center of the top of box and equally spaced from the ends of the box so that the weight will be equally distributed for carrying by said handle.

United States Patent Primary Examiner-Donald F. Norton Assistant Examiner-Stephen Marcus Attorneys-A. Yates Dowell and A. Yates Dowell, Jr

ABSTRACT: An artists carrying case in the form of a generally rectangular container with a hinged lid and a removable tray with compartments of sizes and configurations to contain clean and soiled brushes, paints, small jars of oil and turpentine and the like, with a palette-forming cover receivable in slideways in the sides of the box, the bottom of the box being partitioned to provide compartments, one for soiled paper or cloth and the other for rolls of clean paper or cloth and other miscellaneous equipment, the lid of the box having elastic straps to hold knives and other utensils. On the exterior of the front of the box there are elastic straps to hold a folding easel, and a handle is attached along the longitudinal center of the top of box and equally spaced from the ends of the box so that the weight will be equally distributed for carrying by said handle.

PATENTEU APR27 1971 BEVERLY R. CONOLLY ARTISTS CARRYING CASE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION However, these have not met the needs and have been cxpenl sive, awkward to use, did not accommodate the paints,

brushes and utensils used, and were subject to other criticism.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION AND OBJECTS The invention is a relatively deep, generally rectangular box or container with a lid or cover pivoted at one side and a latch or lock at the other, with a relatively flat handle disposed lengthwise alongthe center of the lid and midway between the ends. The front of the box is provided with three straps for carrying a folding easel, the straps having snaps at the top so that they can be readily unsnapped for removing and replacing the easel.

The box or container is provided with a removable tray supported by ledges on its walls, the top of the tray preferably being flush with the top of the box or container and with a palette-forming cover located in slideways in the top of the tray. The tray is partitioned to provide a full-length compartment at its front and rear, one for clean and the other for soiled brushes, and short compartments for a painters jars or other containers of oil, turpentine, paints, and the like, between the full length compartments, while beneath the tray the box or container is partitioned to provide multiple compartments, one for the receipt of soiled cloth or paper, and the other for rolls of clean cloth or paper or other equipment. In the top, flat straps are provided for holding knives, pliers, and implements of various kinds.

It is an object of the invention to provide a simple, practical, relatively inexpensive carrying case for convenient use by an artist, such carrying case being in the form of a box or container of sufficient depth to accommodate a tray flush with to top of the box having a cover and with compartments in said tray, with the bottom of the box provided with compartments, and the exterior of the box provided with straps for holding a folding easel, and within the cover straps for holding various and sundry implements handily for use by the artist, with a carrying handle by which the box can be carried balanced so that the case may be transported, readily opened, with the materials available for use by the artist, and with the cover of the tray serving as a palette.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a perspective of the invention with the lid raised; FIG. 2, a a similar view with the lid closed; FIG. 3, a section on the line 3-3 of FIG. 2; and FIG. 4, a perspective of the palette-forming cover for the removable tray.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to the drawing, the artist's carrying case of the present invention in in the form of a generally rectangular box or container with a lid 11 attached thereto preferably but not necessarily by means of a piano hinge 12. The box or container 10 is of a depth to hold the necessary supplies and preferably is provided with a removable tray 13 supported on a ledge 14 on the walls at the front, rear, and ends of the box although such ledges actually are required on only two opposed upright walls for supporting the tray.

The removable tray is provided with a pair of partitions l5 and 16 providing relatively long brush compartments at the front and rear of the tray, and with transverse partitions l7 and a relatively short longitudinal partition 18 forming a series of relatively short transverse compartments, and a pair of end compartments for the convenient reception of paints, jars of oil turpentine and the like.

The tray 10 has end walls 19 and 20 and a rear wall 21 provided with inwardly extending ledges 22, 23 and 24 with overlying inwardly turned flanges 25, 26 and 27 providing slideways to receive and retain a palette-forming cover 28 0 having a thumb opening 29 near one corner of the sheet (preferably of plywood) of which the cover is formed for use as a a palette, and with such opening also serving to receive the fingers by which the removal of the tray from the box or container may be accomplished.

The bottom of the box has one or more partitions 30 providing compartments, one for soiled paper, cloth or the like, and the other for rolls of clean paper, cloth or other miscellaneous equipment.

A lock or latch 3i is provided on the box for engagement with a fixed portion 32 on the lid for securely fastening the lid on the box. The lid is provided on its inner surface with spaced retaining elements 33, 34 and 35 which fit flat against interior of the undersurface of the lid and are adapted to hold various instruments used-by the artist, including knives, pliers, and other tools.

The box or container on the exterior is provided with spaced elastic straps 36 with snaps 37 to permit their upper ends to be released, such straps being adapted to retain a folding easel on the front of the box while the latter is carried. On the top of the box there is a handle 38 along its longitudinal center and equally spaced from its ends so that weight will be equally distributed from the handle for facility in transporting the filled case with the folding easel attached to its exterior.

The box or container and cover are of lightweight material such smagnesium, aluminum, plastic, or other material, and the cover for the tray preferably is of some stiff material such as plywood, plastic, metal, or other material so that it may readily be slid in place on the tray and the tray inserted in the box or container until such time as it is desired to use the same, whereupon the fingers may be inserted in the openings in the tray and the cover with the tray attached removed and the cover removed from the tray and used as a a palette.

lclaim:

1. An artists carrying case comprising a box of a depth to hold the desired supplies, a lid hinged to said box, a fastener for securing said lid closed, said box having upright walls with tray-supporting ledge means thereon, a tray removably supported on said ledge means, said tray having longitudinal and transverse partitions forming long compartments at the front and rear of the tray for clean and soiled brushes, and intermediate transverse compartments for paints, containers of oil, turpentine and the like supplies, said tray having slideways along opposite upright walls, a palette-forming cover for said tray slidable in said slideways to and from tray-covering position, the cover for said tray having a thumb-receiving opening therein useful for facilitating the removal of the cover and tray from the box and said cover serving as a palette, said lid having on its inner surface retaining straps which lie flat against the interior of the undersurface of the lid holding knives, pliers and other instruments used by the artist, said box being provided on its exterior with a series of spaced elastic strips extending substantially vertically for holding a folding easel and with the upper ends of said straps provided with snaps, and a relatively flat handle along the longitudinal center and equally spaced from the ends on the exterior of said lid so that the weight of the case and accessories will be equally distributed.

2. The structure of claim 1 in which said box includes at least one upright partition below the area of said tray, 

1. An artist''s carrying case comprising a box of a depth to hold the desired supplies, a lid hinged to said box, a fastener for securing said lid closed, said box having upright walls with tray-supporting ledge means thereon, a tray removably supported on said ledge means, said tray having longitudinal and transverse partitions forming long compartments at the front and rear of the tray for clean and soiled brushes, and intermediate transverse compartments for paints, containers of oil, turpentine and the like supplies, said tray having slideways along opposite upright walls, a palette-forming cover for said tray slidable in said slideways to and from traY-covering position, the cover for said tray having a thumb-receiving opening therein useful for facilitating the removal of the cover and tray from the box and said cover serving as a palette, said lid having on its inner surface retaining straps which lie flat against the interior of the undersurface of the lid holding knives, pliers and other instruments used by the artist, said box being provided on its exterior with a series of spaced elastic strips extending substantially vertically for holding a folding easel and with the upper ends of said straps provided with snaps, and a relatively flat handle along the longitudinal center and equally spaced from the ends on the exterior of said lid so that the weight of the case and accessories will be equally distributed.
 2. The structure of claim 1 in which said box includes at least one upright partition below the area of said tray. 